We’ve been doing these shows where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.

This hour, the conversation winds around to the Connecticut gubernatorial election, nostalgia, praying mantises, heavy metal, healthcare … Anything. (Seemingly) everything.

These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.

Music featured (in order):
Sympathy – LUCA
Oh Love – Kingfishr
Skim a Stone – This Is the Kit
Someone You Love – Tiny Habits
How Come – Charlotte Dos Santos
Season of the Witch – Alanis Morissette

We&rsquo;ve been doing these shows where we don&rsquo;t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing.
This hour, the conversation winds around to the Connecticut gubernatorial election, nostalgia, praying mantises, heavy metal, healthcare &hellip; Anything. (Seemingly) everything.
These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one.
Music featured (in order):
<ul>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/h65NZ40Csyc">Sympathy</a>&nbsp;&ndash; LUCA</li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/ioAG_TASFig">Oh Love</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Kingfishr</li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/uMZetrwFc2M">Skim a Stone</a>&nbsp;&ndash; This Is the Kit</li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/VA4ilQ-s6MM">Someone You Love</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Tiny Habits</li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/DkQEfzQ1FZQ">How Come</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Charlotte Dos Santos</li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/HQDB1n0UZtM">Season of the Witch</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Alanis Morissette</li>
</ul>

The Colin McEnroe Show is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called The Nose for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-colin-mcenroe-show/about">The Colin McEnroe Show</a> is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/tags/the-nose">The Nose</a> for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

The Colin McEnroe Show

All calls: Teach your praying mantises to attack Amazon drones

This hour, The Nose looks at two current bits of pop culture with men’s names that start with the letter T:

Tony is the fifth movie co-written and directed by Matt Johnson and the second released commercially this year. It is kind of vaguely a biopic, coming-of-age dramedy about Anthony Bourdain. It stars Dominic Sessa, Emilia Jones, Stavros Halkias, Leo Woodall, and Antonio Banderas.

And: The fourth season of Ted Lasso just ended this week. It is a reboot/refresh/restart of the Apple TV sports dramedy that originally ran for three seasons from 2020 to 2023. The Season Four premiere was the biggest launch for an Apple TV series.

GUESTS:
Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian and writer who claims to be the rightful heir to the Murray’s Hair Pomade fortune
Carolyn Paine: An actress and comedian; she’s the founder and director of CONNetic Dance and the creative producer and choreographer for The Bushnell’s Digital Institute
Irene Papoulis: Taught writing for a long time at Trinity College
Gene Seymour: A “writer, professional spectator, pop-culture maven, and jazz geek,” and he writes the That Gene Seymour Substack
Bill Yousman: Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart University

Music featured (in order):
The Parting Glass – boygenius, Ye Vagabonds
Magic Mountain – Eric Burton and War
Brain – The Action
Kansas City – The New Basement Tapes
Enjoy Yourself (It’s Later Than You Think) – The Specials
See You On The Radio – Grayson Hugh

This hour, The Nose looks at two current bits of pop culture with men&rsquo;s names that start with the letter T:
Tony&nbsp;is the fifth movie co-written and directed by Matt Johnson and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-colin-mcenroe-show/2026-04-03/the-nose-looks-at-nirvanna-the-band-the-show-the-movie-and-louis-theroux-inside-the-manosphere">the second released commercially this year</a>. It is kind of vaguely a biopic, coming-of-age dramedy about Anthony Bourdain. It stars Dominic Sessa, Emilia Jones, Stavros Halkias, Leo Woodall, and Antonio Banderas.
And: The fourth season of&nbsp;Ted Lasso&nbsp;just ended this week. It is a reboot/refresh/restart of the Apple TV sports dramedy that originally ran for three seasons from 2020 to 2023. The Season Four premiere was the biggest launch for an Apple TV series.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Shawn Murray:&nbsp;A stand-up comedian and writer who claims to be the rightful heir to the Murray&rsquo;s Hair Pomade fortune</li>
<li>Carolyn Paine:&nbsp;An actress and comedian; she&rsquo;s the founder and director of CONNetic Dance and the creative producer and choreographer for The Bushnell&rsquo;s Digital Institute</li>
<li>Irene Papoulis:&nbsp;Taught writing for a long time at Trinity College</li>
<li>Gene Seymour:&nbsp;A &ldquo;writer, professional spectator, pop-culture maven, and jazz geek,&rdquo; and he writes the&nbsp;That Gene Seymour&nbsp;Substack</li>
<li>Bill Yousman:&nbsp;Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart University</li>
</ul>
Music featured (in order):
<ul>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/0doPriEMi2o">The Parting Glass</a>&nbsp;&ndash; boygenius, Ye Vagabonds</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgHvxnTN4Nk">Magic Mountain</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Eric Burton and War</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-7rtMFVBXE">Brain</a>&nbsp;&ndash; The Action</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X3hdFWmerQ">Kansas City</a>&nbsp;&ndash; The New Basement Tapes</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6liD8TdlJFA">Enjoy Yourself (It&rsquo;s Later Than You Think)</a>&nbsp;&ndash; The Specials</li>
<li><a href="https://soundcloud.com/swampman-1/ill-see-you-on-the-radio">See You On The Radio</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Grayson Hugh</li>
</ul>

The Nose looks at ‘Tony’ and ‘Ted Lasso: Season Four’

John Steinbeck considered East of Eden to be his magnum opus. And it’s now thought of as one of the great American novels.

Netflix’s new seven-part limited series adaptation is created by and co-written by Zoe Kazan. Kazan’s grandfather, Elia Kazan, directed the classic big-screen adaptation starring James Dean.

This hour, a look at Steinbeck’s epic novel, the original movie, and the new series adaptation of East of Eden.

GUESTS:
Joel Baden: Professor of Hebrew Bible at Yale Divinity School
Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Fantasy Filmball podcast
Susan Shillinglaw: Professor emerita of English at San Jose State University, where she was director of the University’s Center for Steinbeck Studies for 18 years; she was also director of the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas from 2015 to 2018
Lindsay Lee Wallace: A writer and journalist whose latest work includes the cover stories for the four most recent issues of Bat Conservation International’s Bats magazine

Music featured (in order):
East of Eden (Main Title) – Leonard Rosenman as performed by the London Sinfonietta under the direction of John Adams
Cain and Abel – Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra
Steinbeck in the Oblivion – Klint Kratzer
Salinas – Laura Marling
Outside of Eden – Jesca Hoop, Kate Stables, Justis
Adam Lay Ybounden – The Cambridge Singers under the direction of John Ritter

John Steinbeck considered&nbsp;East of Eden&nbsp;to be his magnum opus. And it&rsquo;s now thought of as one of the great American novels.
Netflix&rsquo;s new seven-part limited series adaptation is created by and co-written by Zoe Kazan. Kazan&rsquo;s grandfather, Elia Kazan, directed the classic big-screen adaptation starring James Dean.
This hour, a look at Steinbeck&rsquo;s epic novel, the original movie, and the new series adaptation of&nbsp;East of Eden.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Joel Baden:&nbsp;Professor of Hebrew Bible at Yale Divinity School</li>
<li>Shawn Murray:&nbsp;A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the&nbsp;Fantasy Filmball&nbsp;podcast</li>
<li>Susan Shillinglaw:&nbsp;Professor emerita of English at San Jose State University, where she was director of the University&rsquo;s Center for Steinbeck Studies for 18 years; she was also director of the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas from 2015 to 2018</li>
<li>Lindsay Lee Wallace:&nbsp;A writer and journalist whose latest work includes the cover stories for the four most recent issues of Bat Conservation International&rsquo;s&nbsp;Bats&nbsp;magazine</li>
</ul>
Music featured (in order):
<ul>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/DmhOGcLB9yc">East of Eden (Main Title)</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Leonard Rosenman as performed by the London Sinfonietta under the direction of John Adams</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uuO_cn2juY">Cain and Abel</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra</li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/uxcKYsS6ZAk">Steinbeck in the Oblivion</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Klint Kratzer</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IxWIqextao">Salinas</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Laura Marling</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUPmE_hU7Ss">Outside of Eden</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Jesca Hoop, Kate Stables, Justis</li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/ccqrfIfjIjs">Adam Lay Ybounden</a>&nbsp;&ndash; The Cambridge Singers under the direction of John Ritter</li>
</ul>

‘Thou mayest’: A look at ‘East of Eden’

When was the last time you read a short story? This hour, we talk about why short stories are so popular in the classroom, but why adults don’t seem to read them much once they’re done with school. And we make the case for why you should. Plus, a look at the art of the short story with some masters of the craft.

You can read Rebecca Makkai’s Substack post that inspired this show here. 

Here is the story that is discussed in the final segment, “How I Became a Vet” by Rivka Galchen. 

As part of this show we asked each of our guests to recommend a short story, a collection, or an author. Here are those recommendations:


Rebecca Makkai: “The Dinner Party” by Joshua Ferris


George Saunders: “The Stone Boy” by Gina Berriault, “The Conventional Wisdom” by Stanley Elkin


Deborah Treisman: Liberation Day by George Saunders, After the Funeral by Tessa Hadley, “The Haunting of Hajji Hotak” by Jamil Jan Kochai


Amy Bloom: “The Dead” by James Joyce, stories by Edward P. Jones, essays by Samantha Irby


Irene Papoulis: “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere” by ZZ Packer


Brian Slattery: “Hell is the Absence of God” by Ted Chiang


Colin McEnroe: “The Hole on the Corner” and “What’s the Name of That Town?” by R.A. Lafferty

GUESTS: 


Rebecca Makkai: Author of the Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-finalist The Great Believers, among other books; her newest book is I Have Some Questions For You, and she is artistic director of StoryStudio Chicago


George Saunders: Author of many books including Liberation Day, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, and Lincoln in the Bardo


Deborah Treisman: Fiction editor for The New Yorker and the host of their Fiction Podcast


Amy Bloom: Author whose most recent book is Blunt Instrument


Irene Papoulis: Taught writing for a long time at Trinity College


Brian Slattery: Freelance writer and editor

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.

The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired on August 7, 2023.

When was the last time you read a short story? This hour, we talk about why short stories are so popular in the classroom, but why adults don&rsquo;t seem to read them much once they&rsquo;re done with school. And we make the case for why you should. Plus, a look at the art of the short story with some masters of the craft.
You can read <a href="https://rebeccamakkai.substack.com/p/why-you-arent-reading-short-stories">Rebecca Makkai&rsquo;s Substack post that inspired this show here</a>.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/03/13/how-i-became-a-vet">Here is the story that is discussed in the final segment, &ldquo;How I Became a Vet&rdquo; by Rivka Galchen</a>.&nbsp;
As part of this show we asked each of our guests to recommend a short story, a collection, or an author. Here are those recommendations:
<ul>
<li>
Rebecca Makkai: &ldquo;The Dinner Party&rdquo; by Joshua Ferris
</li>
<li>
George Saunders: &ldquo;The Stone Boy&rdquo; by Gina Berriault, &ldquo;The Conventional Wisdom&rdquo; by Stanley Elkin
</li>
<li>
Deborah Treisman: Liberation Day by George Saunders, After the Funeral by Tessa Hadley, &ldquo;The Haunting of Hajji Hotak&rdquo; by Jamil Jan Kochai
</li>
<li>
Amy Bloom: &ldquo;The Dead&rdquo; by James Joyce, stories by Edward P. Jones, essays by Samantha Irby
</li>
<li>
Irene Papoulis: &ldquo;Drinking Coffee Elsewhere&rdquo; by ZZ Packer
</li>
<li>
Brian Slattery: &ldquo;Hell is the Absence of God&rdquo; by Ted Chiang
</li>
<li>
Colin McEnroe: &ldquo;The Hole on the Corner&rdquo; and &ldquo;What&rsquo;s the Name of That Town?&rdquo; by R.A. Lafferty
</li>
</ul>
GUESTS:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>
Rebecca Makkai: Author of the Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-finalist <a href="https://rebeccamakkai.com/work/the-great-believers/">The Great Believers</a>, among other books; her newest book is <a href="https://rebeccamakkai.com/work/i-have-some-questions-for-you/">I Have Some Questions For You</a>, and she is artistic director of StoryStudio Chicago
</li>
<li>
George Saunders: Author of many books including <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/564990/liberation-day-by-george-saunders/">Liberation Day</a>, <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/609280/a-swim-in-a-pond-in-the-rain-by-george-saunders/">A Swim in a Pond in the Rain</a>, and <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/231506/lincoln-in-the-bardo-by-george-saunders/">Lincoln in the Bardo</a>
</li>
<li>
Deborah Treisman: Fiction editor for <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/">The New Yorker</a> and the host of their <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/fiction">Fiction Podcast</a>
</li>
<li>
Amy Bloom: Author whose most recent book is <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Blunt-Instrument/Amy-Bloom/Dell-Chandler-Mysteries/9781613167601">Blunt Instrument</a>
</li>
<li>
Irene Papoulis: Taught writing for a long time at Trinity College
</li>
<li>
Brian Slattery: Freelance writer and editor
</li>
</ul>
Join the conversation on <a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/colinmcshow">Twitter</a>.
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/newsletters">Subscribe to The Noseletter</a>, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.
The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-colin-mcenroe-show/id714179884">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0AXtqrzWounIoJyIqz003p">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cub21ueWNvbnRlbnQuY29tL2QvcGxheWxpc3QvYWMwYmU5NjktZDdkZi00NjBjLWE2NmMtYTZmOTAwZTFlYmQxLzcxZGM0YTBmLWU4Y2EtNDAyMS1hZWM5LWFhMDMwMDI2MDQyZC9iNjk1Y2I4Ny1mNmE5LTRjNzYtOGYxMS1hYTAzMDAyNjA0M2IvcG9kY2FzdC5yc3M">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9b6b3cee-f69b-4729-a78b-181f851d80e8/the-colin-mcenroe-show">Amazon Music</a>, <a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/The-Colin-McEnroe-Show-p1208473/">TuneIn</a>, <a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-colin-mcenroe-show-connecticut-public-lXR08dxQSM5/">Listen Notes</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.
Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired on August 7, 2023.

All calls: Teach your praying mantises to attack Amazon drones

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